Tag Archives: radiation

Radiant heat travels in the form of waves. No physical contact between objects is needed to transfer heat by radiation. Students will fill black, white, and silver cans with water, and observe the temperature change in the water when the cans are placed under a bright lamp. The cans are being heated by radiation, and the color of the outer finish of the cans determines the efficiency with which they absorb the heat energy. The white and silver cans reflect most of the rays that strike them (visible and non-visible), so they will heat much more slowly than the black can.

PurposeIn this activity, you will investigate curious heat transfer ability of different surfaces.
Discussion
If you walk around the house with bare feet, you probably notice that a tile floor feels much colder than a carpeted floor or rug. It’s hard to believe that they might actually have the same temperature. The tile feels colder because it [...]